A North Wind Blows
by wshinwells7
Summary: And carries down a distant Rose. What if the naming of Rose had more consequence then getting the Doctor's attention? This will be a multi chapter season three with Rose fan-fiction.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I know it has been done a thousand times, but I wanted to give it a go. I have the first few chapters planned out and done. I will not be doing a word for word reading on each episode. Here is a season three with Rose story.

Her day had been hell, and she was looking forward to a good cup of tea. The kind only her mum could make. Her mum chattered insistently about something new she had just discovered as she puttered about the kitchen. It took all of her might to bite back a scathing comment. None of this was her mum's fault. In fact it was all her.

She was tired. It made her bones ache with a weariness that she could not shake. The steaming cup of tea that sat before her was a small comfort and one she found a little joy. Sometimes a little joy was enough, but most of the time it does not.

"When was the last time you truly slept?" Her mum's cockney accent brought her away from her misery.

"I don't know." She spoke honestly. "I do sleep some, but it never truly restful." The next words came out without her thinking, "I just miss home."

"I do too," She felt her eyebrows raise at her mum's statement. "Well, not the Estate, but our friends and family."

"No, not the Estate..._home_." When her mum continued to look blank she continued to explain, "The TARDIS."

"Oh," She heard her mum sigh out. "Rose."

Rose turned back to her tea, and thought about the words her and her mother had shared on the TARDIS. _She's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human_. Those were the words that shocked her to her core because they were turning out to be true. After the war she had tried everything to get back to where she knew she belonged. Eventually, she realized that all her travels had changed her or rather he had changed her.

The Doctor has taught her to be better than just the shopgirl that she was when she first met him, and along the way she found out that she always was. This was the turning point in her stay on Pete's world. It was those thoughts that had turned her to Torchwood.

The tea had gone cold, a layer of film coated the liquid surface, and she reached down to grab her shoulder bag. As her fingers grasped the nylon strap she felt something push her. Her body hit the ground...hard. She thought it was odd that her mum didn't rush to her side, but after a second Rose began to pull herself together.

She opened her eyes to see complete darkness. Then came the noise. There was a howling but no actual wind. She tried to scream, but even if she did she never heard it.

Rose had been truly scared a lot. When one travels with the Doctor one sees some amazing things, and one gets truly frightened. She had been terrified she was going to die on platform one. It was not her first adventure with the Doctor, but it was the first time she had been anywhere off Earth. Then she was frightened with the Gelth. They could have killed her and then used her body as a host.

Then came the Siltheen and the lone Dalek. It wasn't until she was on the Game Station for the second time that she realized even through all her terror she would follow the Doctor anywhere. Jack had told her only a few days before Satellite 5 that the Doctor would do anything to see her smile. She knew then that she loved him.

All the terror that she experienced that first year seemed like nothing to watching him die and turn into a complete stranger. She could handle just about anything, but she couldn't handle him not wanting her. Her fears and doubts about him leaving her before she got a chance to tell him all that she needed to say were put to rest when he held out his hand and smiled at her. Same Doctor, new face.

They continued to travel, laugh, cry, run, and save the universe. Werewolfs, Oods, and talking TVs couldn't tear them apart, but as they watched the 2012 Olympics they both could feel that something was coming. That something had actually torn them apart.

Now she stared into the darkness and thought of him. She thought of how when she first met him he grabbed her hand and told her to run. She thought about the grin he gave her after she asked him where they were going to next after defeating the Sycorax. Her mind latch on to the many times he tried to do endless repairs to the Tardis.

Rose didn't know how long she stayed suspended in the darkness with the endless howling ringing in her ears. They had thought Korp Tor had been hell, but this place seemed more fitting.

Suddenly, the howling seemed to increase. Her hands came up to her ears and she retreated further into her memories. Her mind latched on to the time she met Sarah Jane. She saw what her future was going to be. It was then that she realized that the Doctor didn't do goodbyes. But he did for her. He burnt up a sun to say goodbye.

Her body slammed into the cold metal of grating. She opened her eyes to see blurry light, and assumed she was back on the kitchen floor in her Dad's mansion. Her body hurt and the pain forced her to sink into unconsciousness.

In her unconsciousness she dreamed of the most beautiful song. She had heard that song twice before when she was awake. Once when she was being held captive by Blon, and another when she looked into the heart of the Tardis. After the first time when she dreamed she heard the song.

She let it lull her deeper into the world where she kept her promise of forever. She didn't care that she lay broken and bleeding. She didn't care that the cold grating she was laying on was the floor of the Tardis. She didn't care that if she wasn't discovered soon she would die. All she cared about was that in her dreams she was with him and they were running.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: A chapter from the Doctor's point of view and his theory on how Rose got there. Thanks to all the people who followed, favorited, reviewed, or even just read this story. I'm looking for a Beta. If you know of someone or want to be one give me a shout via PM. Enjoy!

The Doctor loved knowing a little bit of what was to come. He and Martha had just saved Earth, and had met Queen Elizabeth I. She had recognized him and even though she wanted to chop off his head the adventure to come would be brilliant. Overall, it had been a fantastic adventure.

"I can't believe I met William Shakespeare." Martha said as the Doctor fiddle with some controls and set them spinning in the time vortex. "But as amazing as that was, I'm going to shower. The 16th century has many things but cleanliness was not one of them."

The Doctor waved her off and after a few minutes of making sure the TARDIS was alright thought about a shower himself. He took a glance at the readings and saw a slight spike in energy that had happened shortly before the Carrionites had tried to destroy Earth. He also noted her anger at the arrow that had been jammed into her door.

He walked down the hall towards his room still thinking about the energy spike. It was, he thought, probably her way of trying to stabilize herself for what was to come. His ship truly is a beauty.

It was as he passed by Rose's closed door that he felt something. His senses kicked into overdrive and he smelt iron. He called out for Martha. After a couple of minutes his new friend appeared in her doorway slightly damp but all in one piece.

"Everything okay?"

"I was just about to ask you that," he said as he brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "You didn't go into that room, did you?" he pointed to Rose's door.

"No," she said slowly walking out of her room and into the hallway. "Why? What's in there?"

The Doctor watched as Martha reached out and grabbed the door handle. With one quick flick of her wrist the door stood ajar. He wanted to yell at her, but the last time he tried to open Rose's door the TARDIS had shocked him.

"Doctor!" Martha's voice rang out in the hallway as the smell of iron overtook his nose. He watched her fully enter Rose's room, but it wasn't slowly it was with the sense of urgency that a doctor has when a patient is sick.

He raced after her, and what he saw laying on the grating made one of his hearts stop. He saw limbs that shouldn't be angled in those directions, lots of blood, and blonde hair. Martha was already at work assessing the girl, and he stood so very still until she said those magic words.

"There is a pulse." Time seemed to rapidly speed up, "We need to get her to a hospital."

"No," his voice was sharp. He moved farther into the room, and gently pushed back the hair away from the girl's face. The simple movement confirmed it, and he now knew; Rose had found away back to him.

"Well, she can't stay here. She needs help."

"The medic room," The Doctor said softly. "Martha, it should be right across the hall."

"Doctor there is nothing across the hall," Martha interrupted.

"There is now. Get whatever you need. I wish we had nanogenes on board. This would be cleared up in an instant with those little buggers around." He kept speaking even though Martha had rushed out of the room. She came back moments later with her arms full of bandages, a neck brace, and dragging a backboard.

"How did that room get there?"

"The TARDIS moved it." The Doctor simply said as Martha handed him the neck brace.

"Right," Martha raised an eyebrow at his statement. "We need to set her leg and arm. I'd give her some morphine to ease the pain of this, but I can't tell how hard she hit her head. I don't want to make it worse." Martha seemed to be mostly talking to herself. "We'll start with the tibia. Hold her down."

It took him a moment to realize she was once again talking to him. He grabbed Rose's shoulders and pinned her firmly to the floor. He watched Rose's face as he heard a crack. Rose let out a pained noise but did not wake up. It was a relief but also worried him.

"Good, you can ease up on your grip now. I'll apply the splint and then we will work on the broken wrist. After that we should be able to move her to the bed. Why don't you bandage her head wound while I work?"

He took the bandages that Martha handed him and looked back down at Rose. He hadn't noticed it but the side of Rose's face that was against the grating was also sitting in a pile of blood. His pants legs were soaked through.

Carefully, the Doctor eased her head up and took a closer look at her head wound. After his examination he knew that the gash was not fatal. She most likely got it when she came crashing through the TARDIS. He was still working out how she managed that feat when Martha moved up to starting working on Rose's wrist.

"Ouch, this is a bad break," Martha said snapping the Doctor out of his thoughts. He watched Martha work on Rose for the next few minutes. Finally, when she was done he helped move her to the bed.

"Doctor, what is going on?"

"I don't know," The Doctor sat down in the chair that sat beside Rose's bed. It was comfy and Rose had found it in her room one day. The Doctor had laughed when he saw that it was yellow covered in huge pink flowers.

"You don't say that often, and I've only known you for a couple of days. If you can't answer that then answer me this...who is she?"

"Martha," the Doctor ran his hands across his face. He was tired and yet as he stared at Rose he felt indescribably happy. She always came back to him.

"Fine, if you won't tell me who she is then can you tell me how she got here?"

"Oh, I am thick," he spoke softly. "So very thick. They had said that they came through the deep darkness."

"She is a Carrionite?"

"What...no she is human. But the Carrionites had power over words. Remember they were able to knock you out by naming you. Well, they couldn't find my name...So they used hers." He took a deep breath and continued, "You were out of your time so their naming of you just knocked you out, but she was out of her time and place."

"Place? Like on an alien planet?"

"No, she had been trapped in a parallel universe."

"Then how did naming her bring her to this universe?"

"She had travelled with me in the past. When you travel through time in the TARDIS you absorb background radiation. It is harmless, but she had also traveled across the Void. That is what separates the universes. By her being so exposed it would have been easier for their words to inadvertently bring her across."

The Doctor's thoughts whirled and he thought back to the spike in the TARDIS' energy readings, "Oh, I am so thick. The TARDIS felt her coming through and caught her."

"Okay so the naming and the TARDIS brought her here, but for the past ten minutes as you talked you haven't taken your eyes off her. Doctor she is obviously someone to you. Why don't you just tell me because I will find out when she wakes up."

"Her name is..." the Doctor felt his throat close up. "Rose."

"Rose," Martha's voice was raised in alarm. "This is Rose?"

"Yes, and she might not wake up being Rose. She would have only been in the Void for a few seconds, but a few seconds in the Void is a lifetime for anyone; including me. Who knows what her mental state is going to be like when, and if, she wakes up."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thought I would make up for last week's late post. Plus I've got major plans for this weekend so if I didn't post this now it would not get posted until Monday. Still, to everyone that read, followed, favorite, reviewed, and anything else...Thanks! Enjoy a new episode of Who tomorrow night and this new chapter tonight.

He had lied to her. It had hurt more than she thought it would, but she could understand some of his reasoning. After making sure the girl was stable Martha had suggested they go to a hospital to at least pick up some supplies. The Doctor had given her a small smile, but it disappeared when she suggested the hospital from him home planet.

"_Afterall, you keep saying Time Lords are more sophisticated. Their medicine must be more advance than 21st century human medicine."_

"_True, but it won't be conducive to human health."_

That is how they ended up on New Earth in the year five billion. The Doctor said that he had been there before, but they had landed in the slums. What happened over the next three hours was terrifying, fun, and strange. First she had been kidnapped, and then the Doctor saved everyone from the worlds biggest traffic jam. Lastly, she had met this big face and he shared his secret with the Doctor.

Martha was still thinking about everything as she looked over the girl. The good thing was she was still sleeping. The bad thing was the Doctor was sleeping in that ugly yellow chair covered in pink flowers. He still hadn't explained much about the girl's and his relationship. Though, Martha thought, he had explained about his planet.

_One step forward,_ she thought as she eased out of the room. Martha walked down the hall to her room which seemed to have moved a couple of doors further down. She was still getting use to the ship and all its strangeness.

When she entered her room she began to notice the differences between her room and the room she was just in. First her room was bare. The girl's room was full but not cluttered. In her own room there was a bed, an old wooden chair, and a closet. In the girl's room there was a bed, that ugly chair, a bookcase, a vanity table, dresser, and a closet that was filled with clothes and shoes.

It didn't seem fair, but she knew that the girl had traveled with the Doctor for a good while. She had only been with the Doctor a couple of days, and she knew she shouldn't expect the world. But their time on the moon had seemed like something special.

Now, she was getting the feeling it wasn't. She was getting the feeling that all of this had been just a normal day for the Doctor. It was also beginning to bother her how much she had fallen for the alien and this life in such a short time.

Martha had always prided herself on being independent and strong and most importantly stable. She had to be in her crazy family. Then she met the Doctor and she found herself wanting to try something new. She wanted to step off the path she had chosen for herself, and into a world that she didn't know. It also helped that the Doctor was dreamy and could kiss.

"Gosh, when did I get so pathetic." Martha groaned out as she sunk back on her twin size bed. "He took me to a planet that he visited with her. It doesn't mean anything. After all, he is over 900 years old he could have visited that planet several times."

As she stared at her ceiling she started to compare her room with the girl's room again. Even in the architectural design was different. Her room looked so human. The four walls and ceiling looked like regular plaster and the floor was covered in a tan carpet. The girl's room had the same grating as the pilot room and the walls and ceiling were shaped out of the same coral as the rest of the ship.

"What was that he said when I first came on board?" She thought back to that time. "He traveled with a friend named Rose and that they were together. But did that mean together _together_, and why is this bothering me so much?"

Martha gave up on trying to figure out her frustrations which she knew already boiled down to the fact that she fancied an alien who wasn't hers to fancy. She stood up, changed out of her clothes which she was sure still smelled like the motorway, and made her way back to the hallway. Looking down the hallway she found herself in another part of the ship.

"This is getting ridiculous." She said into the empty air of the hallway. "I need to check on the girl's status and I can't do that if I can't find her."

The lights in the hall flickered and went out as Martha spoke. "Fine, not the girl," Martha took a deep breath and bite out the name, "Rose."

The hallway to her right side lit up and Martha sighed as she started to walk down the hall. The ship was turning against her. She ventured down the hall and followed the lights until she reached Rose's room. Another door had appeared beside Rose's and it was one that Martha had not seen before. It was a dark cherry wood with circles carved into the door panel. She ignored the new door and went into Rose's room.

The lights in the room were dimmed, but she could still make out the Doctor still asleep in the ugly yellow chair and Rose was still peacefully out of it. She checked her vitals and after a moment of noting that nothing had changed she glanced about the room.

Rose's bookshelves were full of knick-knacks, pictures, and few books. Martha peered at pictures of Rose and an older bottle blonde woman whom could only be Rose's mum. She found several pictures of Rose and a handsome black man. Among the pictures were also pictures of Rose with two men: one in an old blue coat and the other in a black leather duster. She assumed the Doctor was the one taking the pictures when he wasn't in them because there were many with just the two of them.

"We took that one on the planet Clom."

Martha hadn't notice that the Doctor had awoken and was now standing beside her looking at the picture she was holding. She gently put the picture back and turned to face him. He looked slightly manic with his hair in even more disarray than normal and his suit wrinkled from sleep.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." The words felt like they tumbled out of her lips one over the other.

"It's okay, Martha. How is the serum working?"

"Great," She felt on firm footing talking about medicine they had obtained from Novice Hame. "It has completely healed her head wound and the leg seems to be almost healed. Her wrist was the worst break of all so it might take longer to heal than her leg."

"Good," he grinned at the girl on the bed, and went back to sitting in the yellow and pink chair. After three years of medical school and one year of internship she knew when she had been dismissed. Taking one last look she saw the Doctor clutching Rose's hand in two of his.

"Yep, this is getting ridiculous."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Okay this will be the last chapter before I get deep into season three. Beware I will be moving episodes around. Thank you to everyone that read, reviewed, followed, and favorited.

Rose heard the most beautiful song in the world and, in her dream, opened her eyes to see the blurry ceiling her room on the TARDIS. She knew it was a dream because the song still played, but she still smiled to see the coral ceiling. As the muscles in her face stretched to an ear splitting grin she also fought down a groan. It appeared that her dream body ached just as much as her regular self if not more.

Looking down she noticed her arm and leg were wrapped in bandages. Her vision was still a little blurry, and she gingerly raised her un-bandaged arm to touch another bandage on her forehead. All the dream bandages explained why her body ached from far more than just tiredness.

After taking a moment to examine herself she then glanced about her old room. Her eyes went all the way from her door to the Doctor sleeping on "his" chair. She smiled slightly at the sight of him, and then her vision snapped back to the end of her bed.

"Rose," her Doctor stood there. He was wearing her black duster and his blue eyes were wide with fear and fury. In his hands he held a big gun. "Move out of the way."

"No," she knew her line, and said it with as much inflection as the first time.

Her eyes shifted again as her mum appeared in the room. She was wearing the jean jacket that Rose had burned after they had bought new clothes in Pete's world. It was too much of a reminder of what she had lost.

"Do you think you'll ever settle down?"

"The Doctor never will, so I can't. I'll just keep on traveling." She whispered to the image.

"Some things are worth getting your heart broken for. Find me, if you need to, one day. Find me."

Sarah Jane stood by the bed. Her body was inches away from Rose's head. Rose scooted away knowing if she touched any of them she would awake. She wasn't ready to leave her dream.

Her eyes snapped to the left as her new new Doctor stirred. Rose tumbled off the bed. Pain shot up from her wrist, as she tried to get out of the way of her demons, and she cried out. This was not how her dreams normally went.

"Rose," his voice sounded just the same as when he was calling out to her to come to Norway.

She shrank further into the corner between her bedside table and the wall, "Just an image. No touch."

"Oh Rose," her new new Doctor spoke as he arose from his chair.

"I did find you, but you weren't the same." She spoke as she looked at Sarah Jane. "Of course you weren't the same because the Doctor changes people, but if you hadn't met him then you couldn't change. I found you in Croyden and even stayed with you for awhile. Even though you were different you were still able to help."

"You helped me by giving me something to hold on to. I didn't realize that I needed another hand to hold until I had lost it." Her eyes snapped back to her new new Doctor. "Have you found someone else to hold your hand?"

Rose didn't really want to know the answer so she forged on trying to keep everyone where they were so she could keep dreaming.

"Even when you smile you look sad," Her mum spoke, and Rose flinched.

"I'm trying." She was too. "But it isn't easy. I'm sorry, Mum, but this wasn't the life I wanted."

She couldn't stop her memories from flooding her senses. Her body banged against the wall again as she tried to block them out. Something inside her told her that this dream was different. This dream as a nightmare, and one in which she might not wakeup. But even if it was a nightmare she still had him...both of him.

Ida from the hell planet orbiting around a black hole appeared, Rose focused on her, and waited patiently for her to speak.

"I couldn't stop him. He said your name."

"You should have stopped him." Rose brought her hands up to cover her ears even though she knew it was a useless gesture.

"That's been there for years. It's just a phrase. It's just words," Mickey spoke. Rose thought he looked younger, more innocent.

"It told me I could get back, but what if it never appears again?"

"If you go back, you're going to die."

"I am the Bad Wolf." Rose felt as if her voice echoed throughout the suddenly quiet room.

As she claimed to be the Bad Wolf all, but her new new Doctor disappeared. She looked up at him, and the first tears fell. The sound of the song in her head was reaching its crescendo. Rose knew she only had precious moments before it was all going to end.

Suddenly, Rose felt the memories surging down on her, and her body slammed back against the wall. She saw Jack telling her that she was worth fighting for, Mickey saying that he was staying in Pete's world, and his Northern accent proclaiming that _Eveyone Lives_.

"It was a better life...Ten quid...Mortgage...Not anymore...And what the hell are you turning into...I made my choice a long time ago...Don't argue with the designated driver..."

She cried out as they kept coming. "Do it...The key's cold...I'd thought I lost you...I killed the Emperor..."

"Rose," her new new doctor spoke with urgency, and she tried to focus on him, but her eyes kept drifting back to when he wore a black duster and had big ears.

"No touch," she let out a hysterical giggle, "just an image." It had all becoming too much.

"I can see everything." She said as she took them all in. Her mum, dad, Mickey, Jack, Sarah Jane, Queen Victoria, Ida, an Odd, her doctor, and her new new Doctor. They were all crowding her.

"My head."

His northern accent made her want to smile, "Come here."

"It's killing me," and it really was. The song wouldn't stop.

"I think you need a Doctor." It was her new new Doctor that spoke and her eyes flitted back to him and his gorgeous hair.

"I'm so not amused." She tried to smile but it failed to come out right.

Her whole focus came down to him. He knelt right in front of her so close they could have been touching, but they weren't. She could see that he looked tired and sad and slightly happy. The happiness that showed on his face made her pause. It shouldn't be there.

The song in her head was deafening. Her time in this nightmare was coming to an end. She wanted to tell him so much, but the words couldn't be formed. His eyes held her captive and she could see him starting to raise his hands to her face. She took the few fleeting seconds to memorize his face, and then just as his fingertips touched her skin the song ended and everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: I'm sorry this is late but I spent most of the weekend with my mom because it was Mother's Day. Next week will probably be late too as it is my Dad's birthday. This is a slightly longer chapter and I'm hoping that they get longer and longer. Also, if there are any typos it is because I just finished typing this up. Thanks to everyone that read, followed, and reviewed. Enjoy!

The Doctor watch horror struck as Rose lost herself in something he couldn't see. He knew what he had to do, but still he hesitated. As he knelt down in front of her he hoped Martha wouldn't come any closer.

"I'm so not amused." Her voice sounded pained.

He watched her focus on his face and finally began to raise his fingers to her temples. With the slightest of skin on skin contact Rose went limp. He didn't break contact though, instead, he increased the pressure and forged into Rose's mind.

Ever since The Time War the Doctor's mind had been devoid of others except the gentle music of the TARDIS. He had entered three other minds one three separate occasions. The first time person's mind was Rose. He had done it to hid away the memory of her killing every dalek. The second person was Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, also known as Madame de Pompadour. She had entered into his mind as easily as he entered hers, and seen the deep sadness in him. The third person's mind was fractured, and Rose's mind was very similar.

A torrent of images and voices bore down on him. Most of them he recognized, but come he did not and those we the ones he focused on. He saw Rose's first few hours in Pete's world. She didn't want to leave the lever room. Mickey convinced her, after they waited for over five and half hours, to finally leave the room. The next images were of Rose and her mum drinking tea. Rose looked tried. He couldn't hear what Jackie was saying, but he noticed something Rose had missed: the tea was made from Bad Wolf Tea Company. Finally, he saw her dressed in all black talking with a group of Slitheen.

With some difficulty he tore himself away from those memories and began the task of organizing her mind back into some semi-balance of order. Rose had been in the Void for all of thirteen seconds, and the effects it played on her were devastating. As the Doctor worked he realized he would not be fully able to fix the damage it had done.

After some time he knew what Rose had done to protect herself. She had sunk into her memories of him. Those were the ones that were most jumbled, and slowly he put her as back together as he could and then he pulled out.

"Martha," his voice sounded normal to his ears, but he felt like it should be raspy from disuse. "We need to get Rose back to bed."

They laid her gently on the bed and the Doctor sunk back into his chair. He had been in Rose's mind for five minutes and sixteen-seconds. It felt like it had been hours. He missed the feel of another's mind with his, and the TARDIS hummed around him.

"What did you do?" Martha's voice broke into the TARDIS's hum.

"I entered Rose's mind." He spoke slowly.

"Like you did back with Shakespeare...in Bedlam?"

"Yes, actually, it is a lot like I did with Peter Street." The Doctor hesitated on what more to tell Martha.

"How did you do that by the way?"

Sometimes she was too inquisitive," Ah, well Time Lords are telepathic by nature." He knew from Rose's experience with the TARDIS's translation circuit that this little comment might brew into a fight.

"You can get inside my head and read my thoughts?"

There it was, he thought. "No...no, no, no. It doesn't work like that. Human's aren't telepathic in nature. Well, some of them aren't. Rose's mind is slightly because of her time linked with the heart of the TARDIS. She took all of the time vortex into her being, and while it wrought some changes on her it didn't change her too much."

"I'm not sure how to react to that," Martha spoke slowly. He looked at his new friend to see he scrutinizing Rose. It made him wonder what was going on in her head. "When will she wake up?"

"Shouldn't be long," he glanced down anxiously at Rose. She was sleeping peacefully. "I say in probably twenty minutes."

"I'm going to make some tea," The Doctor watched her walk out of the room leaving the door open. He noted that her grace was with the studied nonchalance of one who didn't want to seem like they were rushing. With a sigh he sat back down in his chair and waited. It took Rose eighteen minutes to begin to stir. The Doctor put down the book he was reading when he heard the change of her breathing.

"Ugh," her sigh of annoyance made his lips quirk; Rose was not a morning person. "Another dream inside my room on the TARDIS."

He wanted to tell her it wasn't a dream, but judging from her memories he knew it would not work. While he debated the best way to let her know it wasn't a dream she untangled herself from the bed covers and was now sitting cross-legged up against the headboard.

"Where did we leave off?" Her voice held her normal tone of humor. She obviously didn't remember her time in the Void, yet. "Tony is only just beginning to learn to crawl. Mum is going spare chasing him all over the house. Dad and I met some Slitheens the other week."

She continued to tell him about her life on Pete's World. It seemed like she was adjusting there quite well. Did she even want to come back, he now wondered. As he let her words wash over him he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Doctor?" Martha's voice called out as she entered the room a cup of tea in her hand.

Rose was up off the bed before either could react. Her body seemed to move like liquid. She had Martha pinned against the wall next to the door, and her right arm was against his new friend's throat.

"Who are you?" Her voice was harsh and commanding like that of a soldier's.

Martha looked at a loss for words. He hurriedly grabbed Rose's arm and she looked down. For several moments all she seemed to do was stare at the place where his skin met hers.

"You're not an image." She said as she continued to stare at his hand. Slowly, he watched her raise her eyes to his and he smiled. "You are real."

"Yep," he popped the "p" and continued to grin.

"Oh my..." she began to say.

"Um, don't mean to be rude but you are still slightly choking me." Martha said and the Doctor focused on her. Rose lowered her arm and stepped slightly back.

"How did I get here?"

"That is a long story, and one that will have to wait. We have places to go." The Doctor reached out and grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her across the hall. He heard Martha follow them into the medi-room. "Right jump up."

"Doctor," Rose stood beside the exam table. "I accepted a lot of things since I've known you, but if I wake up and find out this is a dream I will lose it."

"Not like you haven't already," he heard Martha whisper but Rose didn't seem to have.

"Rose," he sighed out and ran a hand through his hair making it stand up more than normal. "This is real. You are really here and to get here you had to come through the Void and I don't want you focusing on that right now until I figure out how much your mind has left to heal."

"Okay," Rose grinned at him. "That didn't make much sense so I know I must be really here." She seemed to realize something after a moment. "My mum is going to kill you if she ever sees you again."

"It will be worth it."

He spent the next fifteen minutes examining Rose. It seemed he was only able to heal about sixty percent of her mind. He told her that over the next few weeks what they would need to do and what she might experience.

"What about your new friend?" Rose said pointing to the empty space where Martha had been standing.

"Ah, well I do have to take her home." He felt a little guilty forget about Martha in the wake of all that had happened. "I promised her one trip and that was because she saved my life. Why don't you shower," he pointed her her blood soaked hair and clothes, "and I'll say goodbye to Martha."

"Right, Martha," he said as he entered the console room and began to pilot his beautiful ship back to Martha's Earth. After several moments she landed and he grinned. "Perfect landing, and that was not easy."

"We are going some place already? I figured you wouldn't be anxious to get back out there now that Rose is up. Where are we?"

"The end of the line. No place like it."

He followed her out of the TARDIS's doors and grinned.

"Home? You took me back to my flat?" She sounded a little confused.

"Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry. So, back were you were, as promised."

"How long have I been gone?"

"Twelve hours." He said. "Turn on the tele to check if you want because I told Rose twelve hours the first time and it was actually twelve months."

"Right," Martha said and the phone began to ring effectively cutting off what she was going to say next. He looked around the room at Martha's life as she talked to her mum about something on the tele. She was a very neat person. Though the smallness of her flat terrified him.

"Doctor," Martha and Rose's voices entered into his head breaking him out of his thoughts. Turning he saw Rose standing right inside the TARDIS.

"One trip is what we said." He made his way back to Rose.

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated."

"Well, at least he took you back to the right time period. I missed out on a whole year because of him." Rose grinned up at him she seemed to be adjusting to being back well.

"Mmm. Seems to happen to me a lot."

"Thank you. For everything." Looking at Martha he couldn't help but think that this is where she belonged.

"It was my pleasure." With that he ushered Rose back into the TARDIS and ran up the ramp. "Where to now?"

Rose stared at him like he was going crazy. "You weren't listening where you?"

"To what?"

"To what the television was saying inside of Martha's apartment?"

"No," He felt completely baffled. "Did it say something good?"

"Maybe," Rose felt like this was the London Eye moment all over again. "Someone just said that they were going to change what it means to be human."

"Really?" He said and his hands automatically began the landing sequence. With a jump he jogged towards the door and slightly opened one. "I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I have a web site to thank. Chakoteya . net, it is the best for Doctor Who transcripts. I also want to thank all of you who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. You guys rock. This is another Martha chapter. Oh, did I mention they are going to get longer as I keep going. Read and enjoy.

Martha felt the ease of being in her own flat evaporate as the day went on. First the Doctor had brought her back, and while there were some times that she thought she would never seen it again being back felt off. Next, the Doctor had disappeared back into the TARDIS. He left the doors open though, and Martha could hear the two of them talking. Lastly, just as she was going to start getting ready for the night's event she heard terrified screaming coming from inside the TARDIS.

She rushed towards the open doors only to have them close on her face. Her body collided with the box. It took ten minutes of frantic knocking for the Doctor to come and assure her everything was well. He explained that while he had healed a majority of Rose's mind the memories were still going to leak through from time to time. Some, he continued on, weren't all that pleasant.

After that, Martha had closed the door to the TARDIS and focused on herself. She took a long shower, did up her hair, and finalized the touches on her make-up. As she was putting on her shoes the TARDIS's doors opened.

"Sorry about before," Martha turned away from her desk mirror to see Rose standing awkwardly in front of the TARDIS.

"It's okay," Martha took in Rose's stunning blue cocktail dress and ballet flats. She wondered where the girl acquired it from as it was almost the same blue as the TARDIS. The dress fit her like a glove with it's full skirt and capped sleeves making Rose look like an old Hollywood movie star, and making Martha feel frumpy.

"You see so many wonderful things traveling with him, but sometimes you don't." Rose started to explain her hands fisting in the skirt of her dress.

"You don't need to explain." Martha interrupted before she got too far. The last thing she wanted to hear was about Rose's time with the Doctor. The time before her.

"Really?"

"Really." Both of them let out sighs and grinned.

Before their camaraderie could go any further the Doctor stepped out of his ship. He appeared not to notice either of them as he fidgeted with his bow tie. Besides the hospital she had never seen him out of his suit. Martha took the opportunity to look him over and noticed that he looked good in a tux.

"Well, Rose, I called UNIT and got them to add us to the list. Alistair said something about the usual aliases." The Doctor appeared to be rambling. "Ugh, black tie. Something bad always happens when I wear this."

"Can't argue with that," Rose said as she fixed the bow tie he had made crooked.

"I don't think it is the outfit," Martha spoke up. "I think it is you. And what are the usual aliases?"

"Well, mine has always been John Smith, but Rose doesn't have one."

Before anything else could be said, the cab driver buzzed up to let them know that it was here. It was a quiet ride to the laboratory. Martha thought about how much she wish she had something to say. When the cab pulled up to the press junket she noticed Rose shrink behind the Doctor.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Rose spoke.

"Blimey," the Doctor sighed out. Martha turned to look and she noted he didn't look upset at Rose but at the press.

"What's wrong?"

"Well..." the Doctor drew out the word.

"I'm dead." Rose spoke plainly.

At that the door was opened by what Martha could only assuming was a Lazarus PR person. She was grateful it wasn't Tish. "You're dead," She asked as she stepped out of the car.

"Offically dead," Rose said as the Doctor helped her out of the car. "Right?"

"Well..." his hand went through his hair making it stick up even more. "Your name was on the list. We are not anybody rich or important so just try and stay out of the photographers aim." He suited words to action by pulling Rose mostly behind him and walking towards the building.

"Wow," Martha said as she entered the room. Her eyes were drawn to the middle of the room where a circular dais sat. The frosted glass chamber was man sized and was situated with four circular posts that were slightly curved at the top of the chamber.

"Oh it looks sonic," Rose spoke from behind the Doctor who was busy eating with a boyish joy.

"Martha," at the sound of her name Martha turned and saw her sister Tish bearing down on them. "Two nights in a row. That's dangerously close to getting a social life. Of course a guy would help that."

Martha hugged her sister and felt ridiculously happy to see her. She listened to her sister for a couple more seconds before the words soaked in. "Wait, Leo in black tie?"

"Hello." The Doctor was suddenly standing beside her. Martha glanced around and noted that Rose was circling the dais. She also noted that while the Doctor was smiling and waiting to be introduced his eyes kept drifting to where ever Rose stood.

"Is he with you?" Tish's left eyebrow rose at the presence of the Doctor.

"Uh," Martha tried to think of how to answer that. "Sort of."

"How did he get in? I don't have you with a plus one?" The look Tish gave her was full of concern.

"I'm Doctor John Smith." The Doctor gave her his dazzling smile and Martha saw Tish relax as she fell under his charms.

"Oh right. You and your wife were the last minute additions. Got one of my staffers all in an uproar, but one does not say no to UNIT."

It was at that moment that Rose chose to rejoin them. She slipped beside the Doctor with an ease that made Martha seethe. "Professor Lazarus came up with this all by himself?" Rose asked as her hand synced with the Doctor's.

"Yes. I'm Tish, Martha's sister, and head of the PR department. It is lovely to meet you Lady Rose Smith."

"Your joking?" Martha blurted out before she could stop herself. Thankfully, Tish took it as reaction to her promotion and not to the title that Rose had.

"No, I put this whole thing together."

"So you can tell us a little about tonight's event."

Rose's voice seemed to be all the prompting the Doctor needed. "Yes, that there," he pointed the the center of the room. "Looks like a sonic microfield manipulator."

"So I was right?" Rose teased. "Sonic."

"Oh two science geeks. I should have known."

Neither Rose or the Doctor could comment back to Tish as they were interrupted by the arrival of Martha's mum and her brother. Martha tried to hold back, but after the last few days with the Doctor she had doubted she would ever see either of them again. She enveloped her mum in a huge hug.

"We did just talk earlier today." Her mum said when Martha finally pulled away.

"I know. I just missed you. Looking good, Leo."

Before her brother could respond her mum butted in, "You disappeared last night."

"I just went home." Martha thought of the TARDIS and smiled.

"On your own?" Martha hated that her mum and Tish could both raise one eyebrow. It was then that she saw that Rose had wandered a little ways away with Tish. The Doctor stood alone, eating the hors d'oeuvres, watching Rose, and was directly in her mum's eye view.

"This is a friend of mine. The Doctor."

"Doctor what?"

"John Smith," Rose and Tish rejoined the group. "Hello, I'm Lady Rose Smith. It's lovely to meet you Mrs. Jones."

It amazed her how quickly her mum warmed to Rose. They only had a few moments to chat before an elderly man tapped on a glass for attention. All heads turned to the noise, but before he had their full attention Martha's mum whispered, "they are lovely," into her ear.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever."

Martha focused on the chamber that Lazarus entered into at the end of his speech. She wondered how something sonic powered could change the course of humanity. Before she got too far in her musings an alarm started to sound.

The Doctor rushed forward pulling Rose along with him. "Something's wrong. It's overloading." The two of them ran toward the control panel. The Doctor's sonic screw driver was out and he aimed in at one portion of the panel then tossed it to Rose who aimed it another. She hated to admit it but they looked good together. Trying to make herself useful, Martha rushed towards the chamber's door.

"Get it open!"

At the Doctor's shout, Martha opened the door and prepared herself to behave like the medical professional she was, but the man who stepped out didn't need a doctor. She looked back in the chamber and then back to the young man. This could not be happening.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!"

"It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick." She joined the Doctor and Rose beside the smoking controls.

"What have you done to him?" Rose's voice sounded far away. "Can you change back?"

"No," the Doctor said turning on Rose. He grabbed Rose by the shoulders and made her look at him.

"Rose look at me." Martha had heard that tone of voice before and she hoped it was never directed at her. It was the tone he used when he didn't like what was happening and he was going to have to stop it. After a second her eyes which had been glazed over focused on him and she seemed to be coming back.

"Martha," he snapped back to the problem at hand, his tone still had a slight edge, and he didn't release Rose from his grasp. "It is not a trick. He just changed what it means to be human."

The three of them watched the young Lazarus talking to an elderly lady. The two of them appeared to be discussing business until the younger Lazarus grabbed a tray of food from a passing waiter.

"Energy deficit. It always happens." The Doctor said as the three of them approached.

Lazarus continued to shovel food in his mouth as he spoke, "You speak as if you see this every day, Mister?"

"Doctor, actually," Rose said making Lazarus's eyes turn away from the Doctor and onto her. Before Rose could speak some more the Doctor interjected, "Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance. That's inspired."

Lazarus's eyes shifted back to the Doctor and Martha saw the Doctor shift Rose a little bit behind himself. "You understand the theory then."

"Enough to know you couldn't possible have accounted for the variables. That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blended."

"You are not qualified to comment." The elderly lady stepped up to Lazarus's defense. Martha just knew that the next person to test out the inhumane machine would be her.

"If we hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded."

The professor's smile was slow and sleazy looking, and it made Martha's skin crawl, "Than I thank you and your lovely lady, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issues. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing until you've run proper tests." Martha knew that something like, this while scientifically amazing, would not be approved for public use without being properly tested. She listened to the younger Lazarus and his lady friend in growing horror. "Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos, change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

Martha heard Rose say the name Cassandra. The blonde girl looked just as horrified as Martha felt. Finally, it seemed like Lazarus had had enough of them as she had of him. He said goodbye to the Doctor, smiled greasily at Rose when the Doctor wouldn't let him near her, and captured Martha's hand. She wanted to snatch it away, but before she could he brought it up to his lips and kissed it.

"What do we do now?" Rose asked as Martha glared at her hand.

"Now?" The Doctor grinned. "Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I saw we do our own tests."

"I love playing mad scientist." Rose laughed out.

"Lucky for us I just collected a DNA sample."

The two turned and grinned at Martha. As Rose continued to lightly laugh the Doctor spoke, "Oh, Martha Jones, you are a star."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I'm so sorry this is late. Uber-late. Life got busy and it is summer. Woot!. Thanks for all the love. Enjoy this chapter. Next one to come when I type it.

Rose looked at the DNA strand on the computer screen again. She was watching it change as Martha and the Doctor talked about the consequences of the change. It was sort of pretty to look at, but overall terrifying.

"Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something that's trying to change him?"

"Can we compare a stabilized human DNA to his to try and see what has been activated?" Rose ask as she watched another change take place.

"Might be able to." The Doctor mused. "But I don't think it will tell us what he is changing into."

"Change him into what?" Rose liked how serious Martha was taking all of this.

"I don't know, but I think we need to find out."

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and they headed for the door with Martha in front of them. The young girl was saying that she thought that Lazarus and the woman had said they were going upstairs. Rose didn't remember that part of the conversation, but she was too focused on staying here and now to try and pick up on the little things.

Her memory was constantly fluctuation between what had happened and what was happening. There were only a couple of times were she felt herself out of control since the TARDIS. The first was in the cab when she remembered she was dead.

It was an easy thing to forget seeing as she wasn't actually dead. In Pete's World it hadn't taken them long to set up their identities and no one at Torchwood questioned her being there. Then finding herself back on the TARDIS and with her Doctor she allowed herself to just slip back to before she had been torn away from him. She knew she shouldn't have. She knew they needed to talk about more than just her memories but it was just easier. Then she remembered she was dead. It wouldn't be so easy to slip back into her own universe.

The second time was when she saw the young Lazarus come out of the sonic chamber. Her mind went back to when the Doctor had changed. She still wished he had told her about it being a possibility, but it had made her question everything that had happened between them.

Now she stood in the office of Professor Lazarus looking at a mummified corpse. The Doctor was talking away about energy deficits again. She saw Martha's horrified face and tried to remember back to when something like this was still new.

"The fluctuation DNA required more energy than just food." Rose interrupted the Doctor before he could go further into lecture mode. "Will this be enough?"

"Ah Rose," the Doctor grinned at her. "Always asking the right questions."

The three of them made their way back to the lobby. Rose frowned as Martha's heels click-clacked on the tile floors. She looked down at her ballet flats and thought about sensibility. Those shoes weren't sensible, but Martha was smart and kind. She was someone that the Doctor would need and Rose hoped her realized that.

"Hey Martha, you alright? I think Mum was hoping to talk to you."

Rose saw Martha frown at her brother. She gave the man a smile and pushed Martha forward. "You go chat with your mum and we will keep looking."

"Looking?"

"Yes," Rose flashed her best smile as her eyes continued to scan the crowd. "We were hoping to get a word with the professor. Sciency-stuff."

"Yeah, well he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With Tish?" Martha was beginning to sound hysterical. Rose reached out a hand to lay comfortingly on her arm but Martha shrugged her away.

"Ah Doctor," Martha's mum joined the group just as the Doctor asked where the two went. Rose watch the Doctor ignore the older lady and run towards the lift. She gave the older lady a small apologetic smile and ran after him.

His sonic screwdriver was out as the lift started going up. It was a comforting sight to see. "Searching for his fluctuation DNA?"

"Yep," he said grinning down at her. "And I got him."

The doors opened to a beautiful view of London. "Why do we always end up on roofs?"

"...Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act..."

"Falls the shadow." The Doctor finished and Rose noted that once again he had situated his body in front of hers.

"The Doctor knows his Elliot." He looked slightly shocked to have another one up him.

"Tish, step away from him." Martha's voice rang through with alarm.

"Martha, I know it is a bit strange, but he isn't that bad." Tish said with a roll of her eyes.

"Tish," Rose called out as she tried to move around the Doctor but found herself blocked.

"Please come over here." She kept her voice deliberately calm. It was a trick to get people to do what they wanted. If you sound calm and reasonable they tended to follow your orders.

After a moment of consideration Tish walked over to Martha, "Fine. But I don't see what the big deal is."

"That is the big deal," Rose said as she watch Professor Lazarus molt his human skin and turn into a giant prey-mantis like bug. The Doctor had already grabbed her hand and was moving them to the lift before Professor Lazarus could finish his transformation.

"Oh my god, I almost snogged him." Tish appeared to be losing her grasp on what was important.

"We have bigger things to deal with," Rose stated as the Doctor made the lift plummet to the lobby.

"Bigger than the Professor?"

"Yes," Rose snapped. "We have to get everyone out of here. All those people are in danger of ending up like Lady Thaw if we don't move."

"What happened to Lady Thaw?"

"Not important," Just as the Doctor spoke an alarm started to blare. The lights went out and the doors to the lift they had just exited behind them closed. "What's happening?"

"An intrusion," Tish said as if it explained everything. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lift and seals the exits."

"Crap," Rose said and she reached inside the Doctor's tux. He hand searched his inner pocket and finally found the sonic screwdriver. "Still setting fifty-four?"

"Always thinking," The Doctor grinned at her. "We will distract him when he makes his way down here. You get everyone and yourself out."

Rose didn't start to argue with him. She just grabbed Tish and made her show her where the security panel for the doors were. She ignored the Doctor telling everyone that they were in danger. Her concentration was focused on controls which had began to spark. Ten more seconds and the doors opened just as the mutated version of Lazarus appeared in the lobby.

The screams seemed to echo in the glass room. Rose put her hands to her ears and tried to focus on the here and now. _I'm Rose Tyler, _she thought,_ I'm back in my universe and with the Doctor._ She kept repeating it over and over as Tish started ushering people out.

"Rose!" The Doctor's voice was loud and she found herself hanging from a lever all over again. "Just hold on."

"I'm trying," she whispered. Her fingers had a tenuous grasp on the rubber handle on the metal pole. She could feel the Void trying to suck her in, and knew it was going to win.

Her body was suddenly being propelled across the room. She looked for the Doctor and saw his eyes went wide. Her life for the safety of the world was nothing, and she knew that. After a moment she shut her eyes and let the fear and grief take over.

"Rose," Martha's voice snapped into her mind. When she opened her eyes she found herself staring at the girl and she felt the frigidness of icy cold air. Somehow, Martha had taken her out of the dais room.

"Where is he?"

"He told me to get you and everyone out."

"We need to get back in there."

"You can't!" Francine came up to the two of them. "I don't know much about your husband, Rose, but he seems able to handle himself. Also, you saw that thing. I'm sure he would want you safe."

"Well," Rose said biting back the feeling that she was talking to her own mother. "The Doctor doesn't always get what he wants. He always wants me safe, but I'm jeopardy friendly."

With that Rose took off towards the door. She pointed the sonic at the doors to open them and ran through. After a second she heard footsteps behind her and with a glance back she saw Martha following her. She faltered in her steps and reached out to grab Martha's hand.

"Run," Rose grinned as she said it and Martha grinned back. Maybe, Rose thought, they could be friends.

The two of them hurtled up the stairs. When they hit third floor Rose heard a bang. When there was a bang and the Doctor was involved there tended to be an explosion that followed.

'Remind me to tell you about how the Doctor and I met...Agh!" She ran full force into the Doctor.

"What are you doing here? I told you to take her outside." The Doctor looked at Rose as he spoke but he seemed to be talking to Martha.

"Returning this," Rose grinned as she held up the sonic. "Explosion?"

"You know me well," he grinned down at her.

"Did it work?"

"Nah," the Doctor grabbed her hand and started pulling them down the corridor they just ran up. "I think it annoyed him."

"Well, now that we've run in a circle," Martha said as the entered the dais room.

"We hide," The Doctor and Rose spoke at the same time. He ushered them into the chamber that had changed Professor Lazarus back into a young man how was also a giant mutated bug.

"Couldn't we hide elsewhere? You know, somewhere with a little more room."

Martha was trying to make herself as small as possible Rose noticed. She also notice the Doctor starting to slide down the wall. His left hand gripped her leg right above her knee as he stabilized himself.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he moved one of her feet a little to the left.

"Control panel..." he said and then trailed off.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Martha said as the box started to move.

"Black..." The Doctor said and then flushed and went back to the wires.

"Black?" Martha said and Rose tried not to laugh. "You want to cut the black wire. There isn't one."

"He wasn't talking about the wires." Rose said after a second. "Are you nearly done? I don't want to turn into something like him."

"Almost," The Doctor said and Rose tried not to note that he was totally focused on the task at hand. "If I get this right it will reflect the energy rather than receive it...Got it."

The capsule stopped spinning and Rose let out a sigh. The Doctor opened the door and they all seemed to spill out of the capsule. She looked about the room and saw the naked man lying on the floor.

"Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful." Martha said as they approached the prone figure.

Rose stayed back and let the two of them go forward. She felt herself tinkering on the edge and looked at Martha to reassure herself that everything was stable. The Doctor came back to her side and didn't say anything. He just slid his hand inside of hers and she felt herself step away from the edge.

The next fifteen minutes went by in a blur as an ambulance came to take away the young professor Lazarus. Rose tried to make herself small as some cameras took pictures of the scene and the crowd. It took a few a couple of minutes for Martha's family to find them in the crowd.

"Ah, Mrs. Jones..." The Doctor didn't get to finish his sentence as she marched up to them and slapped him across the face.

"You and your wife keep away from my daughter."

"Why is it always the mothers? Yours, now Martha's, and oh Donna's looked ready to hit me too."

"You okay." She grabbed his hand away from his face and looked at the mark. "She got you good." While Rose examined his face she heard Martha and her mother arguing. When she heard the words dangerous and then death and destruction Rose felt her blood run cold and then boil.

"He saved all of you." Rose whipped around as she felt the anger take over. Before Rose could get any further they heard a big crash. "Oh dear lord." Turning she saw the ambulance was on its side and the back door was open.

"He is now loose in London," the Doctor whispered as they ran up to the vehicle.

"Where do you think he would go?"

"Southwark Cathedral." Tish spoke beside her sister.

The four of them took of toward the Cathedral. Rose was glad she wore the ballet flats as they ran across the wet cobblestone. The inside of the Cathedral was beautiful and peaceful.

"I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz."

"You've read about it?"

"We were there." The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as he spoke.

"You two are too young."

"So are you." Professor Lazarus laughed and then hunched over. His body made creaking sounds that sounded incredibly painful. "In the morning," he gasped out in pain. "The fired had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"Oh my god." Even though Rose whispered it echoed throughout the church. "That is what you were trying to go this night?"

"It is what I did do," he growled out. "I changed the course of history."

"No you didn't." Martha spoke up and Rose linked her fingers through the younger girls'. She whispered into Rose's ear, "Does he have a plan?"

"Does he ever?" Rose whispered back.

"Oh but I think I do." The Doctor grinned at them and Rose felt herself smile back. "Think you can get him up into the bell tower?"

"Oh I love the running." Rose pointed down at her shoes as spoke, "even wore the right shoes for it."

"You are so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

Rose looked at him and saw how vulnerable he looked in that moment. She grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. Even though one day she would leave and never be able to come back while she was still here she would do anything to make sure that he had someone to fight the loneliness with.

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?" He squeezed her hand back and she knew that he knew.

"I will feed soon."

"I'm never going to let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

At that Rose grabbed Martha's hand and pulled the girl towards the stairs to the bell tower. As they ran Martha yelled out for Professor Lazarus to follow them. She heard the Doctor shout out to them to be safe.

"I think he changed again." Martha said as they kept moving up the bell tower. "Rose? Where are we going?"

Before Rose could open her mouth to answer she heard the Doctor shout for them to get Lazarus to the top. Even though he couldn't see it she gave him her biggest grin. They were still able to think along the same wavelength.

"Oh goodie a dead end." Rose spied the end of the trip and felt like laughing as she heard the organ start to play. "Stay behind me. If he takes me, make a run for it."

"No," Martha practically shouted in her face. "He can't lose you again."

It took five minutes of sonic reverberation for Professor Lazarus to change back to a human. Rose reached out as he changed but her fingers missed his skin by centimeters. If it wasn't for Martha her desperate grab would have sent her to the Cathedral floor.

"I've got you." She whispered and Rose relaxed as Martha pulled her away from the edge.

"Rose! Martha!"

"We're okay." Martha shouted as Rose tried to stop herself from flashing back to Canary Wharf.

The second their feet touched the marble floor of the Cathedral Rose felt the Doctor's arms around her. She wanted to assure him she was fine but she couldn't form the words. Silently, all three of them found a cab and made their way back to Martha's flat and the TARDIS.

"Right" Martha looked between herself and the Doctor and Rose felt unworthy after she opened the door. "We've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go."

Rose watched her take a few steps in the opposite direction of the TARDIS and she tugged on the Doctor's arm, "We need her."

"No," the Doctor spoke too quickly. "We don't. We are Shiver and Shake, the Stuff of Legend, we are a team."

"Of course we are," she smiled up at him. "But right now I can't be the person you rely on if you are constantly protecting me and if I can't always stay in this time." He opened his mouth to protest. "Doctor, you told me it will take five to six weeks for my memory to stop fluctuating and that is with your help. Martha is smart and she loves this life. Invite her to stay."

"Martha," the Doctor reached up to rub the back of his neck but Rose grabbed his hand down. "I want you to come with us."

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you take along for a treat. If that's how you see me than I'd rather stay here."

"Okay, then. If that's what you want."

Rose waited a few second for Martha to understand but she just went on as if she hadn't heard him. After glancing at the Doctor she decided to step in. "Martha get in the TARDIS."

"Sorry?"

"I said okay."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"

As Rose pulled Martha down the TARDIS hall she looked back into the console room and saw the Doctor set the dematerialization sequence up. It felt good to be back and now she had a new friend to win over.


End file.
